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6.10.14

Our Weekend in Pictures

It's the last weekend before we get hitched. Full of last minute prep and if I'm honest more than a few tears and tense moments!

On Friday I was feeling very tearful and very much overwhelmed with it all. Thankfully I have good friends who force me to abandon the a million things I had on and go to lunch. As our kids were in nursery it was a real break to just let off some steam and have a good old vent and a giggle!

Feeling much better we decided to make an evening of it back at the house and whilst our kids played and stayed up way past their bedtime and our partners had joined us from work I started to really relax about the whole thing. There's nothing better than having a good time with real friends to remind you that actually being around the people you love it exactly what it's all about, regardless of your Pinterest boards or your idea of the 'perfect' decor.

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The weekend was very much full of ups and downs but I think that's to be expected 5 days before such a big occasion. Even though our wedding is going to be super low key I guess I didn't realise just how much organisation goes into a small wedding!

I've had a few emails about how getting married means you have finally chosen the one person to be with for the rest of your life and how that makes you now committed to each other. Whilst I get the sentiment it's something that makes me bristle a little if I'm honest. Tom and I had decided this long before we planned on getting hitched and deciding to have a child together was the biggest commitment we could make. Whilst I'm sure I can't comment on that 'married feeling' quite yet I certainly don't think the couples/families I know who have not or don't plan to tie the knot are any less committed than we will be. Maybe I see it differently as my own parents are together and have been for 30 years without getting hitched.

If I'm honest there is a lot about the traditional idea of marriage that I think it a bit odd and if I'm honest a bit sexist. Your father handing you off to be another man's property for one makes me feel really weird! I'm glad I live in an age and a culture where we can decide which parts we want to keep and which we don't want to do. I do get the whole sentimentality for fathers and daughters though, I'm often the one with a tear in her eye watching the bride dance with her dad!

I guess marriage means different things for different people. For us I think we just want to celebrate our 'togetherness' with our friends and family, we want Wilf to be part of that too and in many ways it's just a celebration of our little family. I'm so excited to see all the people we love in one room especially as some of them we so rarely get to see. I dunno, I'm aways one to over think these things I guess, does it have to be defined?

I seemed to want to take a lot of photos against walls this weekend, be that what it is. On Sunday it was the first day that actually felt a little bit cool and I was so excited to get out my winter coat! I bought this one from Zara about two months ago now and have been itching to wear it. I have tried on a couple of occasions previously and got ridiculously overheated!

This is the skirt* I was talking about in this post, I couldn't resist getting it although Tom has made me promise not to buy anything else until our honeymoon as we are planning on vintage shopping on our trip. My shoes are by Orla Kiely* and are so comfy to walk in, they will be getting a lot of use this Autumn for sure.

Wilf got sent this beautiful top by Magnificent Stanley which is a homemade business ran by a lovely mama of one (or two I guess if you count her cat Stanley). I love the quality and he has been getting lots of compliments since wearing it. Thanks Becky!

We had two children. a house and a dog already by the time we got married and I think it does change things, your attitude towards the marriage - I think your wedding becomes almost the icing on the cake then rather than the start of everything in the way it can be for other people if that makes sense? I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating your love for each other x

I think a marriage can mean different things depending on where you are in life and the individuals concerned. For us there was a huge part of it that was about our faith and I think that gave it an extra importance that won't be there for everyone, but at the end of the day the biggest common denominator seems to be that it is a day when the people you love come to celebrate your love for each other - how about that for a non restrictive definition?

Good luck!!!! You're right, the good thing about modern weddings is that you can pick and choose which traditional elements to keep, and which to ditch. We're not married yet either. I'm looking forward to a good old knees-up at some point. Not yet though!

TOTALLY agree with you about all the sexist things about marriage. But it really doesn't have to be that way! In this super modern world it can be whatever YOU want it to be and mean whatever you want it to mean and that is the coolest thing about modern weddings. I prefer shooting modern weddings :D

That outfit really suits you. Marriage is what you want it to be. I will have been wed 20 years in March and many people assumed that we were expecting! For us Marriage was a way of expressing our commitment in front of our family and friends, Don't sweat what other people think, they will always judge, it is YOUR day, your marriage, your life.

Best wishes for next weekend, I'm sure it will all go splendidly despite any stresses and dramas that take place in the lead up. I'm so with you on marriage, I can't imagine myself and my mr will ever tie the knot, but if we do I can't imagine it will change anything about 'us' we have 2 children togther, I can't imagine more of a commitment than that!

Best wishes for your big day. We got married after being together many years and arranged it in a few months to suit what we wanted. We picked elements that we wanted and ignored what we didn't want. Marriage is whatever you want it to be. I look forward to seeing lots of photos xx

Oh my goodness I LOVE LOVE LOVE your outfit in the last photo! It's really interesting too because if I click through to the items then they don't look anywhere near as good as they do in real life, the skirt looks a whole different colour. Can't wait till your wedding either, I totally get everything you said and I think having kids is a far bigger commitment than marriage although as you know I am desperate for Matt to ask so it's not something I could be happy without but I think that's just because for me it would mean a lot to know that he would want to marry me, plus I would like to have the same name as the kids. If I have to wait much longer though then I will say no!! xx

These are such beautiful beautiful pics... OK EVERYBODY'S saying it!! But that last shot - GORGEOUS! What a fantastic setting for your weekly pics... Just beautiful seeing the seasons change in your posts too... - I've been hopping around a bit extra this visit ;-)

I agree that the major commitment is in raising a family together. My advice for next weekend - just forget everything else, relax and enjoy your day. (And get as good a sleep the night before as you can.) Happy wedding!

you look beautiful - glad you let of some steam, I'm sure organising a wedding on any scale is stressful! And I totally agree that having kids is more of a commitment than marriage - we got married just because we wanted to, not to show a commitment or anything else. Can't wait to see your wedding photos!

Oh you too are always such a stylish pair :) I really really love that skirt - wish I was tall enough to pull something like that off!! It goes perfectly with the dusty pink coat and how cute is Wilfs hunter wellies and cardigan :)

Ah, I was wondering if that was a Magnificent Stanley top, we bought one for a friend recently, such lovely packaging as well as cute tops. I think marriage is what you want it to be and although I'm married, like you I don't think that makes us more committed than others who haven't, it's just what we choose to do.

You both look gorgeous :) I'm a bit late in reading your post this week so it means your wedding is even closer! I hope you're not too stressed. We had a low key wedding and I expected to be stressed and worried on the day about all the little things but I woke up that morning and thought to myself, nothing is going to bother me today. And nothing did bother me because I didn't let it. If things went wrong (young bridesmaids spilling things on cream bridesmaids dresses before the ceremony for example!) I said, never mind, it doesn't matter :) I really enjoyed the day because I was so relaxed. Well, not during the vows because I really don't like being the centre of attention but after that I part was done I was happy all day! Good luck to you both. I hope you have a fantastic day xx

OMG Best of luck for the wedding! Is it today?! So exciting can't wait to see the pics! Love your outfit here and the coat looks fab, as does little Wilf, he's so cute! I'm not married, for many reasons really, mainly time and money with having had four children lol but we've been together for years and years, oldest child is 15! I guess we might do it one day x